Kiwi Music for the Weekend: The Chills: The Great Escape

Lovely tune, one of the Great Kiwi OE songs.

Kiwi Music day 15...The Able Tasmans - Hold Me 1

Bit late today...this is from one of my favourite NZ albums ever, the Able Tasmans' 'Hey Spinner!'

Lyrically I have to say I think this is a bit weak. But I love the joyous cascading waterfall of keyboards, drums, and violin.

The Able Tasmans weren't in many ways a typical Flying Nun band: their sound is, I think, very like the early Split Enz.

A mix of keyboard-led melodies and slight dorkiness. Its a very Kiwi thing, I think.

Kiwi Music Month Day 13: The Warratahs - St Peters Rendevous

Warning: the technical quality of this is pretty rough. But its an amazing song.

Came out in '88, or around then. Full of emotion: mourning for the old NZ which was dying, bankrupt, and which becomes a metaphor for the mute mutual love and angry incomprehension between dying father and a rebellious son.

Suggestions welcome

[yes I know I'm shouting: try to imagine me doing it through clenched teeth, if it helps ] DOES ANYONE KNOW A GOOD BROADBAND PROVIDER IN WELLINGTON?

I USE TELSTRACLEAR AND LATELY THE SERVICE IS BLOODY AWFUL: THE CONNECTION IN THE EVENINGS IS SO SLOW I MIGHT AS WELL BE BACK ON DIAL-UP.

Kiwi Music Month Day whateever it is...Sharon O'Neill - Words

...included for historical interest. 1979 was a weird time.

O'Neill had come to fame on TV show New Faces, singing more ballad-ish type numbers sitting at a piano. 'Lucks on your Table' etc. Voice a bit like Linda Ronstadt, songs a bit like Carole King.

Then she put this out and upset the oldies. It was a bit too modern.

It had an electric guitar.

She wore tight jeans and leaned on the mike-stand like that reckless rocker Billy Joel.

She had a perm.

She burned off one demographic and never really convinced the other, although I suspect this clip has a place in the heart for blokes who were about the same age as I was (15). I recall a conversation at school after this was shown on Ready to Roll. It covered many aspects of the performance, with one point of contention being whether or not she was wearing a bra.

I suspect it was her biggest hit, but I don't know that for sure and I'm blowed if I'll look it up.

Look at the audience. Party-ville NZ, late 70s. The guys doing that great dance a lot of us did - stand on one spot and sort of shuffle a bit, and definitely don't move your arms, otherwise people will think you're gay.

My wife recalls me dancing like this the first night we met. If she's in the right mood, she'll give a demonstration.

Kiwi Music Month day 10...The Mockers video for Trendy Lefties

Remember seeing this on Radio With Pictures, early 1982. One of the first things the Mockers ever did and one of the best. Interesting guitar riff.

I think 'trendy lefities' was a Muldoon phrase. Probably about journalists.

Anyway, the song itself was on the Ripper compilation Goats Milk Soap... Still got a copy.